Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2026

Buffalo, New York. I am late posting this – but here is my annual Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft write up.

The First Round

Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2026

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft was an emotional roller coaster ride as the Ducks – without a first round pick after sending it to Washington at the Deadline to acquire John Carlsson; the Ducks brass made a last minute decision to trade away a previous “center of the future” in Mason McTavish as well as sending Olen Zellweger in a separate deal the day before.

First Round

#15 Overall – Nikita Klepov – LW, 6’0″ 187lbs

Well it call came down to this. Verbeek confirmed post-draft that he would not have pulled the trigger on the deal that sent the Ducks third overall selection in 2021 and up until the beginning of last season; one of their “centers of the future” Mason McTavish to St Louis for the 15th overall and 29th overall selections in this draft if Klepov was not available for selection. A defense heavy-draft saw the stand-out OHL scorer fall out of the top ten where he was originally projected to go and right into 15th and that’s when Verbeek made the call. Questions still remain behind the logic given the Ducks aren’t looking to “go backward” in their rebuild as such but the Ducks coaching staff obviously feel that Klepovs exponential speed at development should see him ready for the NHL by the 2027-2028 season if not as soon as this coming season.

The numbers don’t lie. He led the OHL in scoring as a rookie and was the first to do so since Patrick Kane in 06-07 – totaling a very impressive 97 points in 67 games. He is a step above. Possessing elite vision, great hands and a snipers release that is dangerous from all areas. He reads as having a very mature game – exhibiting a lot of poise with the puck and never rushing or forcing a play. His style comparisons mention Cole Perfetti and Teuvo Teravainen – both for his play-making ability and zone entry prowess but reading his draft profiles reminded me slightly of Ryan Getzlaf due to his vision, IQ and poise with the puck.

He WAS committed to Michigan State this season but took the Hockey world by surprise in signing his entry level deal last month which means he either starts the season in Anaheim and sticks or he gets a ten game look before being assigned to the OHL.

We won’t get a sniff of this guy on the Gulls unless it’s as a Black Ace or as a sneaky “conditioning loan” before he gets assigned to Juniors in time for the World Juniors.

#28 Overall – Marcus Nordmark – LW, 6’2″ 187lbs

With the other first round selection received in the McTavish trade Pat Verbeek opted to jump one ahead of 29 by doing a deal with Vegas to move up a spot. He later remarked that “you don’t want to take a chance and I don’t like taking chances to hope that that player is going to be there”. The Ducks sent a fourth round pick to Vegas in the deal to ensure they were able to select the enigmatic but highly touted Swede

Nordmark is a high risk high reward pick – one of those late first round “take a swing” kind of selections that the Ducks have shied away from in recent memory where they have usually opted for a “safe” high floor but low ceiling kind of pick. Nordmark is anything but that. He went into the draft as perhaps the most skilled forward and was up there as one of the most talented as voted by his peers. In the same poll he also voted for himself as most underrated which suggests either some cheeky swagger or perhaps the forgings of a large chip on his shoulder. Actually no, its definitely swagger.

He is noted as a creative, dual-threat with the kind of puck skill that can switch the momentum of a game at will. He has all of the tools in his arsenal, speed, hands, play-making, vision but the concern is consistency and compete level. He spent last season with Djurgardens IF’s U20 team in their U20 league where he totaled 38 points in 25 games – earning an eight game appearance in the SHL where he had just the one assist. He stormed the U20 playoffs – putting up 23 points in 11 games but had a quiet World Juniors – contributing just four points to Sweden’s gold medal campaign.

Commentators note that his offensive skill is explosive and that he plays with a “calm confidence” which can also go against him as he can sometimes find himself behind the pace of play; a bigger ice surface in Europe allows more time with the puck but the smaller North American rink would mean less time to make a decision and is something he may struggle with. Other knocks mention he isn’t as physical as he could be on the defensive side of the puck and that he will need to add more strength to be more effective in this area. The lack of physicality sounds like an anti-Verbeek criterion but perhaps the Ducks believe they have a way to unlock his full potential?

Given he was drafted out of Sweden and has recently signed his entry level contract he can play for the Gulls this season – although reports suggest he will be playing in the OHL for the London Knights his Elite Prospects profile currently has him suiting up in San Diego. Watch this space….

Second Round

Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2026

#45 Overall – Jayden Kurtz – RD, 6’3″ 194lbs

With the pick that they acquired from Buffalo in the Olen Zellweger trade the Ducks made another project-defender selection in taking Jayden Kurtz from the Minnesota High School circuit. Hoping to no doubt continue their recent success with Jackson LaCombe and Ian Moore – who were also selected from High School teams.

Much like LaCombe and Moore – he absolutely dominated in his draft year, scoring 38 points in 26 games and also saw some time with the Chicago Steel in the USHL; contributing 3 points in a 16 game stint. Also like LaCombe and Moore – he is a very smooth skater with strong edge-work that gives phenomenal mobility; great on break-outs and an ace at avoiding pressure. It really does feel like the Ducks have a scout specifically sniffing out LaCombe-like clones in the Minnesota High School circuit.

Similarly to LaCombe he is even a former forward. Draft profiles also note that he is comfortable playing on his off-side – a rare and convenient quality to have in today’s game. The only negative I could see was not using his size enough on the defensive side of things – which again sounds like early LaCombe but the College game will quickly tutor that side of the puck for him. He was projected as a mid third rounder but the Ducks have likely cottoned onto the fact that other franchises have gotten wise on their ability to pick late blooming smooth skating defenders from the US High School scene so again wanted to get in their first to ensure they got their guy.

Kurtz will head back to the Steel next season before going to the University of Wisconsin for 2027-2028, Moore did something very similar – going to the Steel for his D1 year and then spending the full four years at Harvard so we may not see Kurtz until the 2031-2032 season.

#50 Overall – Mathis Preston – RW, 5’11” 176lbs

With their own selection in the second round the Ducks were quick to snatch the free-falling Mathis Preston. The 5’11” 176lb Right Winger was projected to go late in the first round or early in the second but a mid-season injury as well as a trade to the bottom dwelling Vancouver Giants saw his production fall off considerably.

He finished the year with a combined 44 points in 46 games while impressing at the Hlinka-Gretzky Memorial tournament – contributing seven points in five games.

At 5’11” he is on the smaller side and relies on a smooth strong skating game to slip in and out of traffic. His shot is also impressive – reminding some pundits of Phil Kessel. Knocks on his game are the usual lack of going to the dirty areas and perimeter play that seem to dog the smaller wingers but his puck handling ability combined with both his shot and skating are enough to elevate him to NHL top six potential.

The Ducks have not made a habit of taking smaller players lately and so reading his profile immediately reminded me of Alexandre Blais who was touted as one of the better playmakers in the 2024 draft class, although Preston is more of a shooter and Blais a playmaker who needed to work on his shot.

Preston will be back in Vancouver this season and the next barring a last minute commitment to College which is very much on trend lately. We can expect to see him in San Diego for the 2028-2029 season.

The Third Round

Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2025

#82nd Overall – Rian Chudzinski – RW/LW, 6’1″ 190lbs

With their own selection in the third round the Ducks took another strong skating winger. Chudzinski reads more like the type of Power Forward-Lite the Ducks have been targeting in drafts since Verbeek took over. His strengths lie in his speed, motor and power. Showing a fearless ability to drive directly at defenders, force them wide and cut to the net at will. He is also tenacious on the forecheck, turning over pucks to complement his line-mates while playing a sound two-way game that saw his ice time increase as the coaches at Moncton trusted in his ability on the defensive side of the puck.

Knocks on his game include a limit to his offensive IQ as well as play-making ability. Which tends to be the norm for hard-working fore-checking wingers. He projects as a bottom six defensive forward, penalty kill specialist. Perhaps add “Pest” to that projection as he also likes to hit everything that moves. You can see from the highlights below that he requires a playmaker on his line as he does not seem to be able to create on his own.

He was expected to go anywhere in the third round which is where the Ducks selected him and although his early development thus far is encouraging I cannot help but think he seems another Nico Myatovic / Coulson Pitre type.

He will spend another two seasons in the Q and join the Gulls in 2028-2029.

The Fourth Round

Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2026

The Ducks did not make a selection in the fourth round owing to being apparently allergic to forth round picks. They sent their original pick to Seattle for Brian Dumoulin in 2024. Then acquired Detroits one in the John Gibson trade which they later used to acquire Jeffrey Viel. They then got another from the Flyers in the Zegras trade but used that to move up a spot to select Normark in the first round.

Confused? Yeah same.

The Fifth Round

Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2026

#146th Overall – Eric Frossard- LD, 6’5″ 205lbs

As is tradition the Ducks used their fifth round selection to grab a hulking left shot defenseman. Last year they selected a very similar player in Alexis Mathieu in the same spot.

Frossard is your typical old school stay at home defensemen. That is – he has little to no offensive upside but excels at diffusing rushes and eliminating players against the end-boards to kill a cycle.

His size, strength, skating and surprising mobility translate to project-able NHL tools but the lack of offensive upside does leave his future prospects quite murky. He reminds me of Noah Warren who also did not initially read as having any offensive game but has since developed some and his profile and knocks also remind me a bit of Marcus Pettersson although Pettersson was always touted as having a great first pass.

With Mathieu arriving a year before but just in time for the graduations of Warren and Smith this is clearly the Ducks ensuring the stay-at-home defenseman depth is well stocked. Frossard is committed to Notre Dame but is heading back to Guelph for the Memorial Cup before he likely spends the entire four years at College so I wouldn’t expect to see him in San Diego until the 2032-2033 season.

The Sixth Round

Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2026

#178th Overall – Gleb Peshkov- G, 6’2″ 183lbs

Once again following a pattern from previous drafts the Ducks selected a very tall Russian goaltender in the sixth round just four years after they had selected the since temporarily departed Vyacheslav Buteyets in the same round.

Buteyets was two inches taller at the time of his draft but the fact that the Ducks keep looking to Russia for very tall goaltenders is curious. Much like Buteyets, Peshkov has boom or bust potential – having posted some of the strongest numbers in his draft class. A 22-15-8 record with a 2.04 GAA and .930 SV% with five shutouts in 47 games in the MHL. He dragged his club to its first ever playoff appearance before they were unceremoniously dispatched as the underdogs in the first round.

Ducks goaltending coach Sudarshan Maharaj is positive about his upside.

“He is super athletic, super lanky, very competitive.”

Highlights seem to suggest his main strength is his battle. Reminding me a lot of Gage Alexander and Kevin Boyle.

Given Buteyets came across two years after he was drafted I am guessing it will be the same with Peshkov so do not expect him to appear in San Diego or Tulsa until 2028-2029.

#192nd Overall – Noah Kosick – C/LW, 6’0″ 161lbs

With a selection that the Ducks acquired by sending the signing rights for John Carlson to Carolina they selected the play-making center Noah Kosick of the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL.

Kosick might have been an overlooked player in this draft having been a victim of switching teams and allegiances leading up to and during his draft season. Originally an NCAA commit last season he started poorly with the Calgary Hitmen – putting up just three points in 34 games and prompting and off-season change of scenery Starting this past season at Swift Current he suddenly caught notice as he put up 34 points in 37 games before getting dealt to Seattle where he put up another 20 points in 32 games. He will head to the University Of Michigan this season which is something I am sure the Ducks are happy about given their ability to churn out NHL talent.

Kosick is said to be as pure a playmaker as they come. His game is all about facilitating and his strengths lie in his stick handling and finding space where he most dangerous. He is good at picking out trailers and effective dishing the puck on the Power Play. Knocks are predictably on the defensive side of his game and a lack of physicality – which are very teachable and especially through the Michigan program. He could be a steal as a late sixth round pick so it will be interesting to see how he progresses.

He likely spends the full four years at College unless he impresses enough in the first two years to warrant an NHL deal sooner. We likely don’t see him in San Diego until the 2031-2032 season.

The Seventh Round

Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2026

#210th Overall – Jimmy Rieber – RD, 6’1″ 165lbs

With their final selection in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft the Ducks selected right shot defender Jimmy Rieber out of the USHL.

Rieber had a whirlwind year – given he was not guaranteed a spot with the Waterloo Blackhawks to start the season he had to earn his spot before impressing coaches enough to be given a chance to represent at USA Hockeys All-American Game in Plymouth mid-season. He was consistently one of the Blackhawks better shut-down defenders all year.

Rieber reads as a lanky shutdown defender with great reads and quick learning ability. He makes a great fast pass and has good hands to evade pressure. Although primarily a shutdown defender he does have some two way ability which makes me think of Tyson Hinds but a much less polished version.

He tops out as a bottom pairing defender but is a real dark-horse to surprise given his quick learning ability and willingness to improve on his offensive side of the game.

He is committed to the Miami University but will spend one more year in the USHL before starting College in Ohio for the 2027-2028 season. Subsequently he has a long lead in before he gets to San Diego – we likely don’t see him until 2032-2033

In Conclusion

So once again the Ducks appeared to follow a formula – so much so that it was very obvious from the fifth round onward.

What they did do right this time was take some swings and draft some talent that have incredibly high upside despite some knocks or issues in their games that had scared other teams off.

Here is how I would describe the needs met by this draft:

• Dynamic scoring winger who could be NHL ready this season
• High Risk High Reward enigmatic play-making winger
• Another Jackson Lacombe clone
• Underrated small scoring winger
• Small pure play-making center
• Power forward-lite defensive forward
• Hulking shutdown defender x 1
• Right shot two way defenseman
• Boom or Bust Russian Goalie

With a healthy defensive pipeline the Ducks went more for forwards in this draft and were also happy about taking players who would have very long development paths. With years of 7-10 selection per drafts behind them they have a more than healthy prospect pool to allow for some high upside picks and gambles in the later rounds. This draft will be an interesting one to follow given those at the top will arrive as soon as this season and those at the bottom wont be seen for another 4-5 years.

Overall I give this draft a grade of “A”.

I have already updated the Prospect Timeline Page so make sure to keep that bookmarked to see how far away these players are from joining the Gulls.